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This log is current through December 31, 2004
Because we always anchor (saving the $20/day mooring fee), we were concerned about finding great places to drop “the hook”. Fortunately we tucked in between Mosquito Island and a reef on the northern end of Virgin Gorda. The place is famous: in 1595, Sir Francis Drake anchored here while planning his unsuccessful Photo: Becky has been toting her Mexican hammock around nearly five years and finally found its perfect use on the foredeck. The Carib Beer was a new acquisition, and not at all durable. We have a new Q&A entry, having been asked to reflect on the difficult ocean crossing and our lifestyle in general. December 3, 2004 at Virgin Gorda, BVI Prices: Diesel is $2.95/gallon and up, depending on location. Gasoline is $3.51. Bulk water is 12-19 cents/gal. Milk is $6/half gallon in some places. A burger at a beach shack is $9. Mixed drinks are $7+ and beer is $4+. At a nearby restaurant, the noon salad bar is $28pp, plus service charge. In high season, rooms at the Bitter End resort (right) run over $1,000/day, including meals and service charge. If you want to go upscale, you and 23 friends can spend $24,000 per day at the Necker Island Resort. We tried to update this website today at Limerick Bay Resort. When we asked to We love our quiet little 2000 watt Honda generator, and run it two or three hours a day out on the deck to charge the big AGM batteries. That gives us all the electricity we need and eliminates the damaging idling of our expensive diesel engine to charge batteries.
But for those of us who are not at all wealthy in the traditional sense, the sky and water are just as blue and the days equally pleasant. And we made it here on our own skill and determination and have all the time in the world to stay here, making us perhaps the most wealthy of all. Cruise ships stop here, one of which -- Wind Spirit -- is a huge “sailboat”. It’s hard to fathom a sailboat this large. Of course, it’s not just a sailboat. Deep in its innards, powerful engines give mother nature a boost. The anchorage is very quiet until one of these monsters disgorges a few hundred passengers for a few hours. Before sunset they scurry back to the mother ship and sail away. We get a quiet night at anchor (interrupted only the sounds of baby goats on the nearby island). December 7, 2004 on Peter Island, BVI It was our lucky day. A terrific guy named Phil on the nearby sailboat Storm Petrel came to our aid with his scuba gear. Although he announced the chain wraps around the rock “bizarre,” he worked feverishly on the bottom until we were finally free.. See “Ball and Chain” in Essays. December 13, 2004 in Road Town, Tortola Tomorrow we’ll head to Norman’s Island and from there to Jost Van Dyke Island, and before our BVI visa expires on the 21st, on to Cruz Bay in the American Virgin Islands. December 14, 2004 It is especially painful to be away from those we most love during the holidays. Without the support and encouragement of our parents, our amazing lifestyle would not be possible. Loren and Phyllis in Livingston, Montana (photo above) we love you, we miss you, and we think of you every day. Your endorsement of our lifestyle gives us strength every day. Leroy and Harlene of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, without your considerable personal and logistical support, we could not be out here doing this. Merry Christmas to each of you, and to all our far-flung relatives and friends across the globe. A special serious note to Raju Bharati in Kathmandu: We feel the pain expressed in your recent e-mail: “When I came out of the Embassy, though my eyes filled with tears, I saw that the world is still moving...and that a hungry man has no choice. I still have a dream.” Your determination to pull your life to a higher level, even in the face of repeated rejection and the reality of today’s Nepal, is a lesson in courage and humanity. We are proud to know you, Raju. May the right people recognize your brilliance and potential in the coming year. To everyone: please check out our NEWEST FEATURE, a description of the places we have dropped anchor since arriving in the Caribbean. Click the “Anchorages” button on the list at the top left of this page. December 16, 2004, Jost Van Dyke, BVI Brushing it off, we then sailed off the mooring (that means not starting the engine) and discovered that with the high islands of the American Virgin Islands in the distance, our Tracfone worked briefly to the USA (although not inexpensively!) The exciting part of the day occurred after Other cruisers jumped into their dinghies and raced over to shove their boat away from us. THAT is why the charter companies want them to use mooring balls rather than anchors! Later, the same thing happened with a huge multimillion dollar sailboat with a paid crew. The next night it was a power boat. We feel like fiberglass magnets. Aside from anchoring problems, we found this anchorage a delight. The entire town at Jost Van Dyke only involves a few small businesses, but it’s a great place to hang around. December 24, 2004 in Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands Poor holding and wakes from ferries kept us Although the trip involved more motoring than sailing due to lighter than forecast winds, it afforded great views of Saint Thomas -- and closer than expected vistas of huge cruise ships such as this one. Happy Holidays, everyone. And a special note of thanks to all the people who have recently discovered this site and have sent notes.
Exactly four years ago we were on the very beach in southern Thailand where many people lost their lives yesterday. We slept in one of the cabanas that was washed away in this tragedy. It is a very sobering and somber reflection. We’ve run into a snag uploading this website through the antenna sticking out of a beer cooler on top of a house near the anchorage: some banners and photos have been corrupted. We’ll have to find a better connection elsewhere to fix it, so please bear with us. December 31, 2004 in Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands We hope 2005 brings a greater respect for the values, hopes and dreams -- not only for the people we know, but those of diverse cultures we have yet to come to know. This will be last entry in this log. On January 1, 2005 please go to the next log. |
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November 27, 2004 in the BVI
invasion of Puerto Rico. Then he promptly died of Malaria. We don’t plan on doing either.
at the “Bitter End” is not bitter at all. Hope we can find quality anchorages in other parts of the BVI.
connect our own laptop -- or to use a CD on their machine -- we may as well have asked the atomic weight of radium or the half-life of plutonium.
December 5, 2004 at Bitter End, Virgin Gorda, BVI
leaving Tortola
Happy 62nd anniversary on December 26.
sailing into and anchoring in Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke island. A couple on a charter boat (photo) anchored much too close to us and nearly hit us -- several times. They managed to make things even worse by hooking our anchor chain with their anchor. 
m oving west, bypassing Saint Thomas in favor of Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands.
Our hearts go out to the tens of thousands of earthquake and tidal wave victims in Asia.